Taking Hold
by LoveIsAForceOfNature
Summary: ...Yes, nothing had ever felt so right. It was in the midst of that moment, no words needed, that both Harry and Cedric knew how it would go for the rest of the year…dragons and Triwizard Tournament be damned...
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Taking Hold

**Pairing: **Harry/Cedric

**Summary: **(Inspired by Brokeback Mountain) Harry and Cedric had always thought they only had feelings for girls. But after they meet and a friendship blooms, a new feeling slowly overtakes both of them. Struggling separately to find out what ails them, Harry and Cedric only know that this _thing_, this thing takes hold of them whenever they're in each other's presence. They can't describe it, and both are initially unwillingly or unable to admit their true feelings, especially when they are confused themselves.

This _thing_…a thing called love.

**Author's Note: **Hey, if you haven't seen Brokeback Mountain already, go see it. It's beeaautiful. It just recently won four Golden Globes and I'm so happy because Ang Lee, the cast, the crew…the writers…they all deserve it.

Anyways…I've just recently been introduced to the whole Harry and Cedric pairing, and for some reason I just can't get enough of it. There's something about them two as a pair that's so…what? I can't think of the word. Feel free to fill in the space for me, haha. And anyways…I love the idea that the two main characters in Brokeback didn't know that they were gay. So I wanted to try it on Harry and Cedric. I'm not sure how long this is going to end up being. We'll see how it goes!

**Disclaimer: **Basically…I don't lay claim to any of it! lol…:heart: J.K.Rowling and Annie Proulx!

**Read and Review! **Seriously, I appreciate anything. I've been reading stuff for a while, but I'm new to writing my own, so any comments would be great! Thanks! D

Chapter One

Harry was barely able to contain his excitement. The Quidditch World Cup. Who would've thought that instead of suffering through another long summer with the Dursleys, he was going to see two of the best Quidditch teams compete in the most highly anticipated Wizarding event of the year? Harry couldn't believe his twist of fate. Walking with Ron and Hermione, along with the rest of the Weasleys towards their transportation, he couldn't resist the urge to grin shamelessly at his two friends.

"Harry, you quite alright? Looks like you've just snogged the hottest girl in London," commented Ron with joking concern. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I'm just unbelievably excited," laughed Harry good naturedly. "How do you think we're going to get--"

He was cut off by a cheerful greeting that called from behind a clearing of trees. "Morning, Arthur! Over here! We've found the Portkey!" They continued walking over to see a ruddy-faced man holding an old, beaten boot in one hand.

"What's a Portkey?" whispered Harry to Ron, as Mr. Weasley shook hands and exchanged greetings with the other wizard. Ron was about to reply when Mr. Weasley called them over.

"This is Amos Diggory, everyone. He works for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures."

"Hello, hello!" Amos said enthusiastically, shaking each of their hands in turn. When he got to Harry, his eyes widened. "Merlin's beard. Harry? Harry Potter?"

"Er—yeah," replied Harry, a bit embarrassed.

Suddenly, a tall figure jumped down from a tree and landed softly next to Mr. Diggory. "Oh, yes! I think you know my son, Cedric, Captain and Seeker of the Hufflepuff House Quidditch Team!" Amos introduced proudly.

The boy straightened up and Harry immediately recognized him from their Quidditch match last year, when Harry had lost his first match ever. Cedric was seventeen, a couple years older than Harry, and known to be extremely handsome. Harry recalled the sixth year, with only the tiniest twinge of jealousy, of always having admiring girls following him around in the hallways.

"Hey," said Cedric, a pleasant smile gracing his face easily.

_Well, I guess I can see why_. _He has the whole wholesome, good-looking thing going for him_, Harry grudgingly relented.

"Ced, can you believe it? Harry Potter! You played him last year and won, didn't you? That'll be something to tell your grandchildren, that will…_You beat Harry Potter_!"

Harry didn't know what to say in return, so he kept his mouth shut as Cedric flushed a light pink and muttered, "Harry fell off his broom, dad, it was an accident…"

"Oh! Why look at the time! We better get ready to go, clock almost says it's time!" interjected Mr. Weasley, urging them up a hill. Cedric gave Harry an embarrassed, apologetic grimace, and Harry returned a look that said, "It's okay, really, I get stuff like that all the time." The two boys suddenly grinned at each other and followed the rest up the hill.

"Ok, now boys and girls, crowd around and put a finger on the Portkey. Hurry now, don't have much time!" Everyone complied and gathered around, Fred, George and Ron elbowing each other to get a hold. Harry, placing his finger on the heel, felt an arm reach over his shoulder to get in contact with the boot, and looked up to see Cedric leaning over him. Harry inched a bit to the right to give him some more room and Cedric flashed him a quick, silent thanks as he placed his own finger on the boot laces.

"Ready now! Fifteen seconds!" Everyone crowded closer in anticipation, bodies pressing in on each other… "Ten…nine…eight…seven…" Harry detected the curious, refreshing smell of fresh laundry and newly cut grass…"six…five…four…" Harry closed his eyes, not knowing what to expect, feeling Hermione's shoulder up against his own and a toned chest pressed behind him…"three…two…one!"

Harry felt himself being pulled by the navel and was immediately lost in a dizzying swirl of motion. The world spun away and he found himself falling through the air, landing roughly in a tangle of arms and legs. "Ermphh…Ron…you're elbow is in my windpipe," Harry gasped, half-laughing as he saw Ginny, Hermione, Fred, and George in a similar pile-up a few feet away.

"Here, let me give you a hand," said a voice, and Harry looked up to see Cedric standing above them, his grey eyes sparkling with friendly laughter. He took Cedric's outstretched hand who pulled him up easily.

"Thanks," laughed Harry, straightening his glasses as Cedric helped Ron off the ground. Mr. Diggory and Mr. Weasley floated down gracefully from the sky and landed feet first.

"Alright kids, let's go find our campsite!" Mr. Weasley shouted over his shoulder as he headed towards the edge of a forest.

"Harry, you coming?" asked Ron.

"Yeah, I'm coming," said Harry distractedly, looking back only to see Cedric and his father trudging towards the other direction. "Where are they going?"

"Oh, they're probably located in another campsite," Fred piped in.

"Good riddance, mate," added George. "Did you hear the way that pretty boy's dad went

on, Harry?"

"We better cream Hufflepuff this year.."

"…not blaming anything on you, of course, Harry," ended the twins together brightly.

Harry laughed. "Oh I dunno guys, they really did deserve to win that one. And the Hufflepuffs have a huge advantage over us Gryffindors, I mean, come on. We must have _the_ worst Beaters in the whole of London on our team."

That earned him a few good-natured punches and a head ruffle. "That Potter!" Fred cried in mock indignation.

"Outrageous, I say!"

"Thinks he's all that 'cause he defeated the Dark Lord and all."

"He's a hairy git for all I care," added George

"Hairy Harry! Ha! Perfect!" The group chortled and walked on in high spirits. After they received directions from a Muggle camp manager, they headed deeper into the trees, spotting hundreds of wizards and witches in varying degrees of Muggle-wear, setting up tents and campfires.

Harry and Ron turned, hearing Hermione and Ginny giggling to each other. "What are you two up to?" asked Ron suspiciously.

"Oh, nothing you need to concern yourself about, Ronald Weasley," replied Ginny. "We were just remarking upon that Cedric Diggory's charm and good manners…something you entirely lack, I might add."

Harry saw Ron's ears flush pink. "You just fancy him 'cause he's good looking. He probably has an eggcup for a brain. Pretty-Boy-Diggory, right Harry?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You don't have to agree with him, Harry. Ron's just jealous."

"Ex-excuse me? I'm w-what?" sputtered Ron.

As Hermione and Ginny continued to tease Ron, Harry sighed in relief, glad that Hermione had unknowingly saved him from answering. The only thing he knew was at that precise moment in time, thinking back on the easy grins that they shared, Harry didn't know to who's defense he would have jumped to.

**To be continued…**

**Note: **I know it's a bit unoriginal, but I'm trying to imagine their relationship as something that I could see actually happening in the real big picture of the Harry Potter plot. So it makes sense to follow the interactions that Cedric and Harry have in reality…at least…that's what my logic was…haha…

Anyways…I know the Harry/Cedric-ness wasn't very much…but I'm trying to stay with the idea of them not knowing that they're initially attracted to each other. So I'm trying to be really subtle with it in the beginning.

Well yay! First chapter up! Please help me, and give me any feedback! THANKSS! D


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** Taking Hold

**Pairing: **Harry/Cedric

**Summary: **(Inspired by Brokeback Mountain) Harry and Cedric had always thought they only had feelings for girls. But after they meet and a friendship blooms, a new feeling slowly overtakes both of them. Struggling separately to find out what ails them, Harry and Cedric only know that this _thing_, this thing takes hold of them whenever they're in each other's presence. They can't describe it, and both are initially unwillingly or unable to admit their true feelings, especially when they are confused themselves.

This _thing_…a thing called love.

**Author's Note: **Hey, if you haven't seen Brokeback Mountain already, go see it. It's beeaautiful. It just recently won four Golden Globes and I'm so happy because Ang Lee, the cast, the crew…the writers…they all deserve it.

Anyways…I've just recently been introduced to the whole Harry and Cedric pairing, and for some reason I just can't get enough of it. There's something about them two as a pair that's so…what? I can't think of the word. Feel free to fill in the space for me, haha. And anyways…I love the idea that the two main characters in Brokeback didn't know that they were gay. So I wanted to try it on Harry and Cedric. I'm not sure how long this is going to end up being. We'll see how it goes!

**Disclaimer: **Basically…I don't lay claim to any of it! lol…:heart: J.K.Rowling and Annie Proulx!

**Read and Review! **Seriously, I appreciate anything. I've been reading stuff for a while, but I'm new to writing my own, so any comments would be great! Thanks! D

**Chapter Two**

Cedric opened his eyes with a start, saw black boughs of the trees hanging over him from above. Darkness. Silence. A sliver of fear pierced his mind. What happened? …_Harry!_

Cedric looked around and his eyes focused on a silhouette a few feet away. Pulling himself towards Harry's knocked out form, for some reason feeling the most desperate he had ever felt, Cedric's heart began pounding. As he got closer, he could see the outline of Harry's face, his eyes closed and glasses hanging off, mouth slightly parted.

"Harry!" Cedric whispered urgently. The new silence of the forest was unsettling. "Harry! Can you hear me?"

No response. His breath quickening, Cedric scrambled into a sitting position, pulling Harry's torso to lean up against a nearby tree.

"Harry!" Cedric whispered again into Harry's ear. Harry's head rolled lightly down onto his shoulder. The older boy looked around desperately, trying to peer through the darkness. He wouldn't risk using his wand for light to reveal their surroundings; it would also reveal _them_ to whatever was out there.

His heart hammered faster. He needed to wake Harry up. Where had everyone gone? What had happened? Cedric tried to recall his last moments of consciousness. There had been terrified screams as the Dark Mark appeared against the black sky. He was running from the campsite with the others when he had tripped on a tree root and fell face first into the ground. An arm had grabbed his own from behind and hauled him up while the others, not hearing anything, had continued to run.

"Are you alright, Cedric? We need to keep going! Come on, we need to catch up!" Harry had said urgently, pulling Cedric along with him and racing under the flaming trees.

"Harry! Watch out!" Cedric had yelled. Too late. A heavy branch, weakened by the flames, crashed down knocking Harry unconscious. He had quickly bent down and scooped up Harry's limp body in his arms, started running as fast as he could, throat constricting in fear for Harry's safety, when something struck the back of his head. Cedric remembered seeing white lights burst in the back of his eyes before he remembered nothing.

Cedric suddenly noticed Harry's matted hair on one side and gingerly placing his fingers there, felt warm liquid running down. Blood. Without delay, Cedric used his teeth to shred a few strips of cloth from his own undershirt. _Merlin, I hope he hasn't lost too much blood!_ Placing his hand behind Harry's neck, he gently lifted Harry's head from off the tree trunk and placed a swath of cloth on the wound to staunch the flow.

"Please Harry," Cedric unknowingly murmured out loud. "Don't let go."

A chill breeze on his cheek caused him to give a little shiver. _When did it get so cold?_ After checking Harry's crude bandage again, Cedric leaned back against the rough tree trunk next to Harry, folding his arms over his chest to keep out the cold. _Someone must be looking for us. _The Weasleys had been right in front of them with Hermione Granger before he had tripped and fallen, and Harry had stopped to help. Surely they're searching everywhere for Harry, and his father would no doubt be looking for him right now. Rubbing his arms to stay warm, Cedric cursed himself silently for being the cause of all the trouble. If only he had looked where he was going. _I hope Harry will be alright_, Cedric thought anxiously, turning his head to see Harry's face next to him. His thoughts began to wander.

_He looks so peaceful. For having been bludgeoned in the head, I mean._ Cedric recalled previous years, before they had properly met, when they only knew the other by reputation. He remembered seeing Harry, a third year then, walking through the hallways with his best mates, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Cedric remembered thinking, _that's The-Boy-Who-Lived_. _He seems so…normal. _Yet, at the same time, there was something different. There was something behind those emerald eyes that was carefully veiled. Pain. And grief. Hidden thoughts that seemed to sigh _"Why me?"_

And those same green eyes he so often saw sparkling with genuine laughter. When they first got properly introduced, when he had watched Harry during the adrenaline-pumping Quidditch math, when he had been invited cheerfully over to eat a nighttime snack at the Weasley's tent…Cedric reflected that never had he felt so comfortable in his own skin. Their easy exchanges…their many shared laughs with the Weasleys and Hermione around the campfire…the few times their eyes met and they couldn't help but grin at each other…those moments all felt so…real…

At Hogwarts, even among his own House, he always felt as though he had to try to be someone. _There's so much pressure_. Prefect. Captain of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team. His father. He needed to be charming to everyone. He had to smile back whenever a girl tried to get his attention. And so everyone was friendly back to him. But all his friends, all his past girlfriends…Cedric had always felt as though he was playing a part. People that knew him…did they really know him? Did they genuinely care for his company? Or were they, like him, acting out of either habit or superficiality in their day-to-day routines? No one ever tried to get to know the real person. Being Cedric Diggory's "friend" was enough.

His chattering teeth brought him out of his reverie. _Bloody hell. It's freezing. Harry!_ He turned around to face the figure next to him and saw with a flash of concern that Harry's lips were turning dangerously blue, his unconscious body shivering in the frigid air. _For god's sake, I'm an idiot!. Here I was lamenting my sad life, and Harry is going to catch hypothermia._

Without hesitation, Cedric pulled off his sweater and placed it around Harry's torso. _He's still going to freeze,_ Cedric reasoned. After a moment of indecision, he slid closer to Harry and gently wrapped his arms around Harry's shoulders. _I hope this will be enough. People should find us soon._ _I wonder how long it's been. _

Suddenly the excitement of the past events caught to him. He was exhausted. The cold wind was still blowing, but now it didn't seem so harsh.

_I wonder what the Dark Mark being set off is going to precipitate…Or whether the Muggle family is alright…_

…_someone must be coming soon…_

_…it's not so cold now…_

_…I hope Harry….I hope Harry will be alright..._

**To be continued…**

**Note:** Wow! I didn't think I would be able to update so soon! But this chapter was so easy to write. I know I skipped a lot…like the match and everything…hope it's not too confusing, I tried to pull a Quentin Tarantino and go from backwards to forwards (not purposely though, haha). And I just noticed that Chapter 1 was all from Harry's point of view…and this one was all from Cedric's (well…harry is unconscious...) but I kinda like how it's switching back and forth. I might continue to do that. What do you think? Continue reading and reviewing! This is my first fic and it's so exciting to get feedback! Thank you!

**To:**

Patricia Sorbid-oh thanks so much! reading your review made me feel all bubbly inside! you are my first reviewer! hope this update is soon enough! D

imakeeper: thanks for reviewing! and thanks for pointing out my mistake, I fixed it!


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** Taking Hold

**Pairing: **Harry/Cedric

**Summary: **(Inspired by Brokeback Mountain) Harry and Cedric had always thought they only had feelings for girls. But after they meet and a friendship blooms, a new feeling slowly overtakes both of them. Struggling separately to find out what ails them, Harry and Cedric only know that this _thing_, this thing takes hold of them whenever they're in each other's presence. They can't describe it, and both are initially unwillingly or unable to admit their true feelings, especially when they are confused themselves.

This _thing_…a thing called love.

**Author's Note: **Hey, if you haven't seen Brokeback Mountain already, go see it. It's beeaautiful. It just recently won four Golden Globes and I'm so happy because Ang Lee, the cast, the crew…the writers…they all deserve it.

Anyways…I've just recently been introduced to the whole Harry and Cedric pairing, and for some reason I just can't get enough of it. There's something about them two as a pair that's so…what? I can't think of the word. Feel free to fill in the space for me, haha. And anyways…I love the idea that the two main characters in Brokeback didn't know that they were gay. So I wanted to try it on Harry and Cedric. I'm not sure how long this is going to end up being. We'll see how it goes!

**Disclaimer: **Basically…I don't lay claim to any of it! lol…:heart: J.K.Rowling and Annie Proulx!

**Read and Review! **Seriously, I appreciate anything. I've been reading stuff for a while, but I'm new to writing my own, so any comments would be great! Thanks! D

**Chapter Three:**

Harry drifted into semi-consciousness, hearing faint voices and soft murmurs that didn't register in his mind. He felt the touch of warm linen on his body, and his mind slowly tried to sort out where he was. By habit, he reluctantly drew out an arm to grope blindly to the side, feeling for his glasses on the bedside table.

"Look Hermione, Harry's awake!"

_That name. Hermione. That voice. It sounded familiar…Ron. His best mate…The Weasleys…The Quidditch World Cup! _Hermione gave a small shriek as Harry bolted upright in his bed, eyes now wide open.

"Blimey, Harry! You're awake!" exclaimed Ron.

"W-What happened?"

"Oh, Harry! We were so worried!" said Hermione, wringing her hands. "When we found out that you weren't behind us—"

"—we were already at the Portkey—"

"—people were running and screaming, we couldn't see you anywhere—"

"—Dad was off somewhere trying to stop the Death Eaters—"

"—and then Draco comes along, all snide and arrogant—"

"—he pretty much told us that his loser of a father was under one of those masks—"

"—and then he pushed Ginny into us and we all fell into a pile on top of the Portkey—"

"—and we found ourselves back—"

"—and I guess the Portkey deactivates automatically because we couldn't get back and we tried everything and oh Harry! We're so sorry!" wailed Hermione, almost in tears.

Harry blinked, trying to absorb everything that was said in approximately six seconds and in one breath. "It's okay, really!" said Harry, alarmed at their reactions.

"When Dad finally came back we told him what had happened—"

"—two hours must have passed—"

"—and he immediately sent for help to look for you."

"We tried to retrace our steps but the forest was so big and it was dark—"

"—it felt like we were looking for ages but we finally found you and Cedric against a—"

"Wait, Cedric?" Harry interrupted.

"Oh yeah, I guess you had been knocked out and the pretty boy was the only one who knew you had gone down. You hit your head or something and it looks like he tried to bandage it," explained Ron.

"How can you still keep calling him that?" Hermione retorted, annoyed. "Thank Merlin he did the right thing, because the Healer says Harry's lucky he didn't lose half as much blood as he could have because Cedric had the brains to try to stop the bleeding."

Ron continued undeterred. "Well anyways, we found you two leaned up under a tree—"

"—Cedric actually had been hurt too, his shoulder had been cut by a rock or something. I suppose he didn't realize how much blood he had lost so when we found you, you were both unconscious—"

"And we got you two here to St. Mungo's pronto and you've been asleep for two days," finished Ron.

Silence. "Oh," Harry finally managed. "Two days! Did they catch the Death Eaters?"

"No, they Apparated off before the Ministry officials caught them. Someone had cast the Dark Mark in the sky and for some reason they all bolted at the sight."

"Yeah, the Daily Prophet had a field day with the whole thing of course. Lack of security. Ministry blunders again. They even managed to get Ron's dad in," Hermione added sympathetically.

"Yeah!" chided Ron angrily. "Went on about how he refused to talk about what had happened to the press, as if that would've helped!"

Suddenly the door of the ward opened and in bustled a nurse. "I thought I heard voices! What do you two think you're doing! The poor boy needs his rest. It doesn't help anyone when you get him all excited. Off you go! You can tell everybody that he's fine, he just needs some rest." And with that, the nurse hustled the two friends out the door, Hermione looking back over her shoulder and Harry giving her a reassuring smile in return before the door closed.

"Alright, dear. How are you feeling?"

"Fine, really," replied Harry, carefully feeling the clean bandage around his head.

"Good, the Healer fixed you up right when you came in. Now you just need to take it easy. Your friend is right next to you, behind the curtain. He'll be fine, he woke up yesterday. I believe he's just resting now. Which is what you should be doing right now too, young man." Harry leaned back down into bed compliantly. "Don't hesitate to call if you need anything, alright dear?"

He nodded. "Thank you very much," he added, as the nurse headed towards the door.

"You're a sweet one." And she closed the door with a click.

Harry looked up at the ceiling. Truth be told, he didn't feel like sleeping at all. He had been asleep for two days and now he felt restless. Turning his head to face the curtain next to him, he tried to sort out his reaction when Ron and Hermione had explained to him what had happened. The strange feeling he had felt when Ron first said the name "Cedric."

Cedric Diggory. The Hufflepuff Seeker. He hadn't known him well before, had been bitter about the loss to them last year at Quidditch just like the rest of his team. But he remembered distinctly that Cedric had tried to call the match off when he realized what had happened. Harry had appreciated it then, though still crushed about his first defeat and what he had then believed to be some huge weakness of his, how the dementors affected him.

The Quidditch World Cup and getting to know him better had been incredibly easy to enjoy. There was something so comfortable between them, even right when they first met each other that morning. That's why Harry had invited him after the match to the tent, and as much as Fred, George, and Ron liked to act as though they disliked him, Harry knew it wasn't true. They were _all_ laughing together that night as they raved about the match and talked about random things he couldn't remember now, sitting around the crackling campfire.

He recalled what Ron and Hermione had also explained to him. How Cedric must've have seen him get knocked out after Harry had helped Cedric up. He would thank the Hufflepuff after he awoke for watching out for him. Harry suddenly pictured the sixth year tending to his head wound, and felt a faint blush creep up his cheeks for some strange, unbidden reason, hand unconsciously reaching up to feel where he had been hit.

A quiet rustling behind the curtain snapped Harry back to reality. He saw a silhouette sit up in the bed and hands run through tousled hair. It turned to look right at him. A pause. "Harry, you're awake?" Cedric called tentatively.

"Yeah, since a few minutes ago," Harry replied. The curtain was pulled aside and he saw Cedric turn to sit on the side of his bed, the sheets falling down to reveal a bare chest.

"That's great! How're you feeling?" Cedric asked, kind concern showing in his voice. "You got clubbed pretty hard by a tree branch."

"Oh, yeah. I don't feel a thing now. The Healers must really know their business," said Harry, smiling back at Cedric. "How bout you? I heard you got pretty scraped up yourself, and didn't even realize it because you took care of me first."

Cedric grinned sheepishly. "Oh yeah, that. Just a little scrape," Cedric said, looking down at his bandaged arm. "I guess I was too worried about you dying on me," Cedric laughed. "Things look and feel different when you're alone in a dark, deserted forest late at night. I'm glad you're alright though, I was getting bored lying in bed here all by myself."

Harry laughed as well. "Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you…but I…I-uhh….now I feel a bit sleepy actually," Harry giving a fake yawn and leaning back down to the bed. "I'm afraid I'm going to need to sleep some more and-uh…leave you with your boring self for a little bit longer."

"Ha. Funny," remarked Cedric, grinning. "I'll let you have your beauty sleep then. Here, you can even have my pillow." And with that, he chucked a pillow at Harry which landed with a poomf on his face. Soon, they were throwing pillows at each other and wrestling on the ground, both laughing while they rolled on the floor, oblivious to their injuries.

When they finally came to a stop, both sitting up across from another, chests heaving from their rough play, they grinned at each other, both truly glad for the other's easy friendship. To think that they only met in person three days ago. Their gazes locked, time seeming to stand still.

Before either of them knew what had happened, their mouths came together, lips pressed hard against the other's. Cedric found himself rising up on his knees, hands placed on either side of Harry's face bringing them closer, their lips still locked, as Harry tilted his head back, arms hooking around shoulders, fingers tangling in Cedric's hair.

Then suddenly, as quickly as it had erupted, they broke apart, stumbling back from each other in confused astonishment. Gasping for breath, they looked at each other, both lost for words…

**To be continued…**

**Author's Note: **

Yay! Longest chapter yet! Took me a while to figure out what I wanted to do next. I guess it turned out that I'm not really following the book plot, but this scene was really important to me. I really hope you like it! I'm sorry it ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, lol. Hopefully I'll be able to get the next chapter up as soon as possible. A few heartfelt thanks:

Patricia Sorbid: I'm so glad you've kept up with my story! You always have the nicest messages: D

imakeeper: thanks for taking time to leave a comment!

Asher 0918: Thanks! I hope its soon enough!

Bengermen: Yay! I'm glad you "freaking love it," lol. There's just something about Harry and Cedric, right? something irresistible…lol!

tea26: I hope you liked this chapter: )

Selan: Thanks so much for your really sweet comments! I'll keep what you said in mind: )


	4. Chapter 4

**Ch.4 UPDATE/Author's Note: **Yeah, so I continued writing a bit and I've pretty much outlined how the story is going to go. I'm really excited! But I realized that the new stuff I was writing should go with this chapter, so I added it on the end. Hope it makes it better. Sorry for any trouble! lol

**Title:** Taking Hold

**Pairing: **Harry/Cedric

**Summary: **(Inspired by Brokeback Mountain) Harry and Cedric had always thought they only had feelings for girls. But after they meet and a friendship blooms, a new feeling slowly overtakes both of them. Struggling separately to find out what ails them, Harry and Cedric only know that this _thing_, this thing takes hold of them whenever they're in each other's presence. They can't describe it, and both are initially unwillingly or unable to admit their true feelings, especially when they are confused themselves.

This _thing_…a thing called love.

**Disclaimer: **Basically…I don't lay claim to any of it! lol…:heart: J.K.Rowling and Annie Proulx!

**Read and Review! **Seriously, I appreciate anything. I've been reading stuff for a while, but I'm new to writing my own, so any comments would be great! Thanks! D

**Chapter Four**

Cedric strode quickly down the corridor bustling with Healers and patients, mind and heart racing. What just happened? His mind could not begin to register. What had made him do it?

Out of nowhere it had come! One second they were looking at each other, then in the next he had found himself lost in overwhelming passion. He could still feel Harry's lips on his own, unconsciously placing his hand on his mouth and still feeling the searing heat left there by their shared kiss.

Because that's what it was, wasn't it? A kiss. Yet like nothing he had ever experienced before. Even with the several girlfriend's he had in the past few years, he had always been aware of what he was doing. Nothing could be compared to the _thing_ that had overtaken him without warning, had left his conscious self in the dust.

Merlin's beard! What was he talking about? What was he thinking? Cedric startled a pair of passing nurses with a sudden outburst of frustration, clutching his bowed head in his hands, clenching his eyes shut as if he could wish it away.

A guy, for god's sake! He was no queer. He wasn't…He couldn't be! He certainly liked girls well enough.

_What must Harry think of me?_ Cedric suddenly thought with a sharp pain in his chest. What was he supposed to do now? He wished dearly, wished so hard, that Harry wouldn't hate him for…for whatever had happened back there. Never had he treasured someone's company as much as Harry's; even though that night around the campfire had only been three days ago, it seemed like they had been friends for a long time. Cedric couldn't remember the last time he had laughed so easily, so genuinely from the heart, with anyone.

_What made me do it?_ The thought kept bursting in his mind. So suddenly had it happened. _What made me do it….?_

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Harry, kneeling on the floor, having not moved since they both had staggered apart wholly surprised, stared blankly at the door that Cedric had nearly run through in haste, mumbling some incoherent explanation about needing to go somewhere.

Harry's mind was in turmoil, a confused mix of emotions swirling without rest. It was still registering what had taken place. What _had_ taken place? Cedric's soft lips pressed against his own, hands cupping his face, his own arms around Cedric's neck.

_No!_ a part of him cried. Harry shook his head, trying to clear the image from his mind. There was a dull ache in his heart, a war raging in his head. Harry stood painfully up, sitting on the edge of his bed. He sat there, head in his heads, trying to figure things out.

After how long he sat there he didn't know, but when he looked up again, his mind was decided.

_Pretend it never happened_. _It was a mistake. I didn't know how it happened, it just did. And it was a mistake; everyone makes mistakes._

He hoped Cedric would forgive him, would also forget about it and leave it be. _What must he think of me? _he thought painfully. Regardless, it had never happened. Cedric would surely also want to pretend it never happened, that a…that a guy…had kissed him.

Yes, it had never happened.

His mind was settled and he crawled back under the covers, intending to be "asleep" if Cedric returned. That way, Harry wouldn't have to look at Cedric in the face. He couldn't.

He repeated it to himself. _It never happened. It never happened_…

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They had avoided each other's eyes carefully since both of them had slipped back under their bed covers the previous day. Neither had been remotely tired and the sun still hung in the sky, but it had seemed to any observer that Harry and Cedric were exhausted, by the way they remained motionless and kept their eyes purposefully closed. After the nurse had checked in on their sleeping forms before turning off the lights for the night, both patients opened their eyes under the safety of darkness and a separating curtain, eyes remaining open for several hours, just thinking, before real sleep overtook them, lids becoming heavy with the exhaustion that had nothing to do with the exertion of the body.

The next morning, Harry and Cedric were both deemed in good condition by the Healer and given permission to return home. The Weasleys, Hermione, and Mr. Diggory had all dropped by earlier on, making it conveniently easier to avoid each other. But as last-minute paperwork was being signed off on, Cedric and Harry found themselves alone as they got ready to leave.

"Hey, Harry," Cedric said, breaking the long silence.

Harry looked up from folding his clothes. "Yeah?" Mistake. His eyes met gray framed under thick lashes, causing a jolt and his throat to swallow before he looked down again quickly.

"Um…what are you doing for the rest of the summer?"

"Er-probably staying with the Weasleys at the Burrow until school starts. You?"

"Yeah, I'll be at home—"

The door to the ward opened and Ron stuck his head in. "Harry, you almost ready? Dad's got Ministry cars to take us all home."

"Uh, yeah. I'll be out in a second," Harry replied. The door closed. Silence.

"So…uh—I'll see you at school, I guess." Outside a pair of birds chirped together.

"Right," Harry said, standing up and gathering his few possessions into his arms. He headed towards the door. As his hand reached out for the handle, it stopped for a moment, poised above the metal fixture as if unwilling to commit some act that would be later plagued with regret.

The handle clicked and Harry walked through, closing the door behind him, nothing to do but to remember to keep breathing and to keep walking.

Harry's footsteps echoed down the corridor as he turned right towards the lobby. The Weasleys were waiting for him there; there wasn't anyone in the hallway. Within another five steps Harry felt as if someone was kicking him hard in the stomach. He stumbled into an alcove, falling to his knees and trying to retch but nothing came out. Kneeling there for a moment longer, Harry bit his lip against the pain and then staggered to his feet, legs weak beneath him. He closed his eyes. Told himself to breathe in. Breathe out.

When he arrived at the lobby, Hermione saw him and squealed, "Harry!" As she ran up and hugged him, telling him how glad she was that he finally got to go back, the whole group headed out together towards the street. It took the whole drive and then some for that gut-wrenching feeling to wear off.

**To be continued…**

**Author's Note:** Sorry it took so long to update! It's been so busy lately, and I also had a bit of a conflict on what direction I wanted to take this story. Actually, quite a big conflict. I'm still not decided yet. Please, if you have any input, feel free to make your own suggestions. I love any reviews and I'm so thankful to all of you who have taken time to let me know that my writing is being read! Yes, and for the story, though I still haven't decided on which direction yet, I realized that this chapter was definitely what I wanted, so…there you go…lol! Hopefully, maybe with your suggestions and some surprise inspiration on my part, I'll be able to decide and get the next chapter up. I'm dying to see what happens next with Cedric and Harry! lol…thanks everyone!


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **Basically…I don't lay claim to any of it! lol…:heart: J.K.Rowling and Annie Proulx!

**Read and Review! **Seriously, I appreciate anything. I've been reading stuff for a while, but I'm new to writing my own, so any comments would be great! Thanks!

**Author's Note: **_Just a reminder! _If you don't know already, I've added some on to the end of Chapter 4, so read that first if you haven't! K, thanks!

**Chapter Five:**

Harry rummaged around the room he shared with Ron, Fred, and George, picking up his things and throwing them into his trunk haphazardly. Ron was doing the same. It was the morning of the day they left for Hogwarts and like usual, they had waited till the last minute to pack, opting to play Exploding Snap late into the night and ignoring Hermione's repeated suggestions to get ready first.

"Harry! You're done packing already!" Ron called. Harry had been standing still, staring off into space.

"Oh, no," Harry answered, startled out of his reverie.

"Boys, we're leaving in ten minutes!"

"Bloody hell! Harry, have you seen my wand?" Ron asked feverishly, as he dumped his folded laundry into his suitcase.

"Er…"

"Ah! Found it!" Ron straightened up, brandishing his wand with a sock dangling from the end.

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They broke through the barrier and stood on Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters, the bright scarlet Hogwarts Express gleaming on the track. Pushing their carts to a compartment, they started loading.

"Harry, are you looking for something?" Hermione asked, as Harry quickly stopped glancing over his shoulder at the crowd of students bustling around on the platform.

"Oh no, it's nothing." He suddenly busied himself with Hedwig's cage, did not see Ron shrug when Hermione gave him a questioning look.

"Thank you for having us, Mrs. Weasley," Harry said as she hustled them onto the train, the whistle now blowing.

"Yes, thank you for everything!" Hermione added.

"You're always welcome, my dears. Well, you children have a good time now," Mrs. Weasley smiled at all of them leaning out of the train windows. "I daresay that now that they've changed the rules and such…"

"What rules?" Harry, Ron, Fred, and George all asked together.

"Yeah, I sorta wish I were back at Hogwarts this year, with everything that they've got planned for you guys," said Bill wistfully.

"Tell us what's happening!" Fred called out, as the train started to slowly move out of the station. But Mrs. Weasley, Bill, and Charlie simply smiled at them and waved until the Hogwarts Express gained speed and rounded the corner.

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The first few weeks back at Hogwarts had been charged with excitement ever since Dumbledore's announcement of the Triwizard Tournament. All of Hufflepuff House had urged him to enter, and his father's encouragement along with a newfound apathy for everything all built up, with Cedric finding himself in front of the flaming Goblet and nothing to do but to drop his name in amidst loud cheering.

It seemed everybody was caught in a rush of energy and anticipation. The two rival schools had arrived in their own showy ways; the beautiful Beauxbatons girls had all the boys staring goggle-eyed while the stern Bulgarians from Durmstrang, especially Viktor Krum, continued to cause quite a stir. He himself had managed to somehow remain jaded to all the excitement, oddly disinterested, though he avoided pinning a reason to why. He easily fell back to his old self and put on the familiar persona of Cedric Diggory, ever cheery, ever polite, always smiling. He was amazed at his own ability to detach his speech, his actions, from his conscious mind, often losing himself in his own thoughts as he continued to chat sociably within his circle of friends.

And now that he was chosen as a champion, it seemed that people he didn't even know were coming up to him. Cedric was constantly surrounded by fellow students, many of whom were giggling girls, and Cedric treated them all with the same warm yet distant amiability that came so naturally to him. It was only until he sat in his bed at night, curtains drawn, that Cedric would lay his head back against the head board, smiling still, but in pained mockery of himself.

He now did just that, closing his eyes, and a series of memories arose unbidden yet again.

_Cedric entered the Great Hall and sat down with his friends at the Hufflepuff table. Silently told himself under no circumstances to look behind him at the table filling with red and gold. He somehow managed to chew and swallow food, immersing himself into conversation._

_Dumbledore stood up, calling for attention and the room immediately quieted down. At the mention of the Triwizard Tournament at Hogwarts, the room erupted in surprised gasps and excited whispers. Cedric didn't pay much attention. He had made the mistake of looking behind him in an effort to focus on what Dumbledore was saying, saw a head of unruly black hair and then suddenly nothing else in the room mattered._

_Harry._

_The fourth year turned his head as Hermione whispered something into his ear. He smiled. For so long Cedric had wanted to see Harry's smile again, it seemed to have some magical ability to pull the corners of his own lips into a grin. Sure enough, "Cedric, you're grinning like an idiot. Eternal glory…sounds amazing…you're gonna enter, right?" prodded a fellow Hufflepuff sitting across from him. But he couldn't respond because Harry turned his head again. Saw Cedric staring right at him. Those green eyes that had appeared in his dreams, his thoughts. Cedric didn't know what to do, he couldn't look away. _

_How long they stared at each other Cedric didn't know. He couldn't even recall what was going through his mind in that suspended moment. But then Harry suddenly looked down, looked away. Cedric turned back around, joined the conversation at his table. And the rest of the night passed by._

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_"And the champion for Hogwarts………Cedric Diggory!"_

_The hall burst in a torrent of applause. Harry watched as Cedric stood up, the Hufflepuffs around him patting him boisterously on the back. Ron groaned next to him, "Not the pretty boy!" but it was drowned out by everyone cheering madly. Cedric headed down between the two tables, and Harry fought to control the urge to reach out and clap him on the back like the others in congratulations, clutching the edge of his seat instead._

_"Now that that's taken care of—" Dumbledore broke off. The Goblet emitted red sparks again. A piece of parchment flew out and automatically it seemed, Dumbledore snatched it out of the air and peered at the name written. Harry could feel everyone holding their breaths._

_Suddenly Harry felt Dumbledore's eyes on him. No. No it can't be. It can't…_

_"Harry Potter!"_

_The loudest silence of his life rang in the Hall. He couldn't move._

_"Harry Potter!"_

_A nudge from Hermione prompted him forward. His feet moved on their own accord towards Dumbledore, the silence breaking as people began to mutter angrily around him. Dumbledore gestured wordlessly towards the door._

Harry turned in his bed sleeplessly. Events from the first few weeks kept running through his consciousness. The first dinner. The choosing of the champions. Gray eyes.

Ron snored loudly. For the past few days ever since Harry's name had come out of the Goblet, Ron had acted ridiculously. The one person that he was sure would believe that he didn't enter his name into the Goblet had turned his back on him.

He didn't want eternal glory! He just wanted to be normal! Did everyone think that he wanted his scar? His past!

It hurt enough that the entire school glared at him in the hallways, made passing snide remarks about an attention-seeking hog. Taunts from Slytherins were expected, but even Professor Sprout remained distant with him, then again, she was the head of Hufflepuff House, of from whom Harry had stolen the glory. If there was a reason for Cedric Diggory to hate him for sure now, it was this.

Harry turned restlessly in his bed again. He had waited those last few summer weeks, waited for school to start and in constant nostalgia of those carefree days with _him_. He was afraid. Afraid, but anxious too. How many times had Harry imagined them together, laughing easily in the other's company again?

But every time, every time Harry would shy away from speaking to him. Why? Out of fear? Cedric always had a large group of friends around him, he was so well-liked by everybody. He looked the part of a champion. It was hard to tell who was getting more attention these days, Krum, the internationally renowned Seeker, or Cedric Diggory…

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_Cedric stood with the other two champions, looking around at the room they waited in. _

_Hogwarts champion. He didn't know what to think, hadn't really considered himself as a candidate. He had only entered his name to please his father, his fellow Hufflepuffs, and honestly because he didn't care much for what he did anymore. He hoped they were happy now. They got what they wanted._

_Suddenly a loud commotion sounded behind the doors and Harry Potter stumbled through, looking entirely shocked. _

_"Do zey want us to go back?" the Fleur girl had asked airily. Harry didn't say anything._

_"Well! Welcome what seems to be the fourth Triwizard champion!" announced Ludo Bagman as he entered the room followed by a crowd of adults. The other headmaster and headmistress rounded on Dumbledore as they began to angrily point fingers and demand second champions for their own schools. _

_The conversation rounded back to Harry. "Harry, did you enter your name into the Goblet of Fire?" asked Dumbledore, clutching him around the shoulders, everyone looking intensely at him._

_"No."_

_"Well, of course he's lying!" shouted Karkaroff. And the room erupted into argument again. Cedric had kept his eyes on Harry's face. Watched the emotions play across. Shock. Disbelief. Frustration. Everything happened to Harry Potter, and again, he had found his life out of his control. Cedric didn't for a second believe that Harry wasn't strong enough to compete. But he had heard Moody's remark about someone trying to do Harry in, and that thought sent shivers up his spine. He fought the overwhelming urge to go up to Harry and grab him into his arms. Tell him that he believed that he didn't enter himself. Comfort him. Protect him._

_But for the hundredth time it seemed, Cedric crushed those urges. Buried them deep. And so he avoided Harry's gaze until it was proclaimed that Harry would just have to do his best in the tournament; it was a binding magical contract. And they walked in silence back to their dorms._

Cedric opened his eyes, having had clenched them shut against the painful emotions that came with these repeated memories. If only he had said something! If only he had let Harry know that he believed him. That he was there for him as a friend.

But now it seemed to late. It was obvious that they had both avoided the other ever since they got back to school. Even the few times they passed in the hallways, he had seen the fourth year coming towards him and Cedric would immediately avert his head as if listening to what someone in his group was saying. Harry would pass by. And Cedric would partially turn his head back, but always too afraid to look completely all the way around at the retreating figure.

Any hope of reforging a friendship seemed lost…

To be continued… 

**Author's Note: **Yay! Longest chapter ever so far! Do you think there's not enough interesting plot stuff yet? I've been trying to concentrate on the emotional level, develop the characters a bit more. Following canon mostly so far. Tell me what you think! Thanks! ☺

My deepest gratitude goes to all those who reviewed! I truly do appreciate it so much, reviews make me feel all bubbly inside and motivate me to keep writing! To:

KaKaVegeGurl: Thank you for the steaming cup of yaoi! lol! I'm so glad that you feel something when you read it!

amethyst sylph: Oh ok, thanks so much for saying what you did, I was a bit worried, are you sure that its still not too much angst? I want to portray that there's some uncontrollable hurt inside and they both don't realize that its loovee! thanks again!

Lucky Dragon Smile: Thanks for your suggestions! It was a good idea, but in the end I decided to stretch out their avoiding of each other cause they're too afraid of the other's reaction.

imakeeper: Thanks so much for reviewing like always, and never hesitating to give constructive criticism cause I appreciate it just as much. I agreed with what you said about it being too short and cut off, so that's why I added on to it! Thanks!

Raven's magic: I'm so glad you like it! And thank you for leaving me a comment, I really do appreciate it!

animegurl088: Thanks for your time to leave a review!

Selan: Yeah, it was a bit short, I added on to it, hope it makes it better! Thanks:D

Laurinasta Blaze: Ahh! yeah! I loved that movie so much! I'm hoping to get some more parallels in, I have some good ideas of what im going to do, but I don't want to ruin it for you, hopefully I'll write fast and "keep up the slashy-goodness"! lol


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **Basically…I don't lay claim to any of it! lol…:heart: J.K.Rowling and Annie Proulx! (I borrowed some phrases directly this time, dialogue and stuff)

**Read and Review! **Seriously, I appreciate anything. Constructive criticism welcome. This is my first fic, so any comments about how I can make it better, suggestions, how you liked it, anything would be great! Thanks so muchh:D

**Chapter Five:**

Harry had never endured such a terrible time at Hogwarts, not even when the dementors had haunted him and an escaped convict was supposedly after his life. A terrible anxiety had settled on his chest ever since he had found out that someone had put his name into the Goblet. And then there was the alienation, the dislike pouring in from all sides from his fellow students who didn't believe that he didn't enter and thought him an attention-hungry prat. Not to mention the fact that Ron, his best mate, wasn't talking to him, and Harry wasn't about to try to persuade Ron to get some sense into his head. He now spent a lot of time with Hermione, who thankfully remained calm, helping him to ignore the constant taunts and snide comments directed his way.

This particular day had been worse than most. It was Friday, and that meant Double Potions with Snape and the Syltherins, nothing short of torture. All the Slytherins, lead by Malfoy, had seemed determined to punish Harry as much as possible for daring to become school champion, making that hour and a half the most unpleasant experience Harry could imagine. Today, instead of the usual catcalls, Malfoy and his cronies swaggered in, bearing badges that bore luminous red lettering. Harry squinted to see what they read.

Support CEDRIC DIGGORY—the REAL Hogwarts champion!

"Like them, Potter?" Malfoy said loudly across the room. "And this isn't all they do—look!" He pressed his badge with his hand and the message was replaced by another one, glowing green in the darkness of the dungeon.

POTTER STINKS

The Slytherins howled with laughter and copied Draco, the room soon filling with glowing green messages. Harry felt heat rush to his face as Hermione shot back, "Oh, very funny! Real witty, that is." She whispered under her breath, "Just ignore it, Harry. Ignore it."

Harry had used all of his effort to remain silent for the rest of the period, even when Ron moved his chair to sit with Dean and Seamus, who though did not sport the badges, laughed rather unpleasantly when Harry got an eyeful of bat juice. When the class was over, Harry was the first one out, Hermione struggling to catch up. For the rest of the day he had to endure walking through the hallways and sitting at meals, both red and green badges winking at him from every direction. For now they had found refuge in the library, and as usual, Harry soon lost concentration while Hermione continued to scribble furiously across from him.

Why him?

Never had he felt so alone. He was ever thankful for Hermione's company, but he yearned for something more. Something more, but he could never quite place what it was. When he really thought about it, apart from Ron, Harry didn't mind too much the attitudes of his fellow classmates; he was used to negative attention. Most of his despair all seemed to lead back to one person. The one person Harry had tried so hard to forget the past few weeks, after he had lost hope…

"Harry! There's a message for you!"

Harry looked up and saw Hermione handing a piece of sealed parchment to him. "This just came."

"Oh, thanks, who's it from?"

"I don't know, an owl just dropped it off. Why don't you open it?"

He broke the seal a bit apprehensively, scanned the brief message. "Oh, it's from Hagrid!"

_Harry,_

_Meet me tonight at midnight at me cabin. Wear your cloak._

_-Hagrid_

"He wants me to go see him at midnight. I wonder what it's for…." Harry wondered out loud.

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_Dragons._ Harry stumbled back towards Hogwarts under his Invisibility Cloak, the dark boughs of the Forbidden Forest looming overhead. He was lost for words. _Dragons._ _That's what the First Task is._ It was true that ever since he had found out that he was to be the Fourth Champion he had been overcome with a growing sense of barely controlled panic. Now he didn't even know if he felt better knowing what he had to face, nothing between him and a fire-breathing, spike-covered beast but a wand which seemed now to only be a thin stick of wood. Maybe he would step into the arena and simply pass out in front of the whole school, he thought almost hopefully.

Harry stopped and stood still, seeing a figure creeping in the direction of the dragons. _Karkaroff_. He had no doubt of what the Durmstrang headmaster was up to. Once Karkaroff reached the clearing he would find out what the first task was and tell Krum about it. Harry knew as well that Madame Maxime, whom Hagrid had invited, would have no reservations in telling her own champion what they were going to face.

Cedric.

Cedric would be the only one on the day of the First Task who was facing the unknown.

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Harry took a deep breath. It had taken three days after that night in the Forbidden Forest for him to gather the courage to speak to Cedric for the first time since they had parted ways that summer. He was filled with fear of confronting him, not knowing still how Cedric had taken their…accident…and the fact that Harry had stolen the glory that Hufflepuff hadn't seen in decades. The article in the Daily Prophet written by that ghastly Rita Skeeter still made him burn in shame at the mere thought of it.

Regardless, Harry had decided that Cedric's safety was more important, he couldn't be the only one to be unprepared to face the dragons on Tuesday. Besides, what would more damage to their friendship be? It was gone already; there was nothing to lose in speaking to him again.

Harry waited for the opportune moment. Cedric headed up a flight of stairs towards the Charms corridor with a group of sixth-year friends, many of whom Harry noticed with a grimace, were the ones who quoted Rita Skeeter's article at him whenever he was close enough to hear. He glanced around to make sure no one was looking, whispered _Diffindo!_ under his breath, and watched as Cedric's bag split at the seam and poured out its contents onto the stone floor.

"You guys go on ahead. Tell Flitwick I'm coming, go on…" Cedric urged exasperatedly as he knelt down to clean up the mess. Several inkbottles had smashed. Harry waited until his friends had turned the corner before he dashed out and took Cedric by the arm, leading him into an empty classroom.

"Cedric," Harry said quickly, before the sixth year could ask what was going on. "The first task is dragons." He suddenly realized he was still holding onto Cedric's arm, and letting go quickly, looked down amidst an awkward silence. Bracing himself for incredulity or open distrust, Harry was surprised when he looked up to see the Hufflepuff staring at him in shock from the news.

"_Dragons_," repeated Cedric, the first note of panic sounding in his voice. "Blimey, Harry. We're in over our heads."

"Tell me about it," Harry burst out, immensely relieved that Cedric believed him. "They've got one for each of us, I think we need to get past them or something."

The sixth year was silent for a moment. Finally, "Why are you telling me this?" he asked quietly.

Harry didn't know what to say. "Well, I mean…it's only fair…" he managed. As if he could tell Cedric that the thought of him getting hurt made him feel sick inside, he thought, as he turned back to the door, hand reaching for the handle. His goal was accomplished.

Cedric felt a sudden jolt, a familiar ache as he saw Harry quietly turn his back. _Not again. Not like the time in the hospital. Not like the hundred times this year…_This _time…_

"Wait! Harry!" Harry's hand froze above the brass knob. "Harry…I just wanted…I just wanted to say that I believe that you didn't put your name into the Goblet." Harry's heart was racing. He turned around slowly, afraid to believe what he had just heard.

Cedric, with those first words, suddenly felt as if a dam had broken inside of him. A flood of suppressed things he had wanted to say that he had kept inside of him for the past agonizing weeks poured out all at once.

"And I wanted you to know, never have I ever felt so connected—this past summer was great—with anyone, I mean—ever since we've gotten back to school, I don't know why we weren't talking—I hated not talking to you anymore, it was never because I didn't like you for stealing the glory or anything, I've believed you since the beginning—I tried telling my friends to give you a break—and…and I-I hope we can still be friends," Cedric finished, looking as surprised as Harry himself at the sudden outpouring of words.

It took Harry a few moments to collect himself, his thoughts, completely overcome with emotion. Time stretched for what seemed like an eternity. Then…

"I—I'd really like that."

The two boys looked at each other, and suddenly, after only another moment's hesitation, they simultaneously broke out into a shy smile, a smile that soon after broadened into a large grin, both feeling as if a pressure had been released inside allowing them to finally breathe, elated as they never had been before. The past dreadful weeks were easily forgotten. They didn't matter, never had. The only thing that mattered now was that they were friends again. All of a sudden, it was beautiful to be alive.

The sound of nearby footsteps echoed from the corridor. Reflexively, Cedric grabbed Harry away from the window of the door quickly, one hand over Harry's mouth, the other on his back as he pressed them against the wall, out of sight just in time as Filch walked right past the classroom, muttering to himself. Cedric waited a little longer, acutely aware of Harry's warm breath on his palm and the feel of his shoulder blades under his hand.

The footsteps died away but still they stood there, bodies close, both unconsciously unwilling to break apart. Harry could smell fresh grass and warm laundry, could feel the quickening murmur of a heart. He could feel his own breath coming faster with each passing moment, and slowly removing the hand from his mouth, he turned to face Cedric, his eyes connecting with gray, conscious mind slipping away.

Then, as easily as the right key turns the lock tumblers, their mouths met, and hard, lips pressed together with unexpected intensity as chest and groin and leg crushed against the other's. Hands roamed, never stopping in one place, finding contours to explore, hair to tangle in. Harry, who had never done anything like it before, needed no instruction as his tongue slid unbidden into Cedric's mouth, getting drunk off Cedric's taste which was both refreshing and deliciously intoxicating, as Cedric, eyes closed, lost himself to the passion that had so easily taken hold of both of them, for whom nothing had ever felt so right.

Yes…there was no doubt…nothing had ever felt so right…

It was in the midst of that moment, no words needed, that both Harry and Cedric knew how it would go for the rest of the year, dragons and Triwizard Tournament be damned.

To be continued… 

**Author's Note: **I hope you liked it! Maybe some of you noticed more of the Brokeback references? I like how this is turning out. I had some doubts before, but now I think I've got it planned. yay! Alright, heartfelt thanks to:

imakeeper: ooh wow, that's like..the greatest compliment ever, lol! thanks so much :D

amethyst sylph: oh thank you for telling me, I wasn't sure if it was too much or something, haha. Hope you liked this chapter!

Oh! And I changed the summary thing, if anyone noticed…do you think its better that way? like, does it ruin it or anything? im worried that it spoils the beginning of the story by giving away that they get back together…ahhh…

and do you think them kissing was too abrupt, out of the blue kinda? I was really trying to avoid them jumping into it too soon…tell me what you think! thanks a bunchh:D


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **Basically…I don't lay claim to any of it! lol…:heart: J.K.Rowling and Annie Proulx!

**Read and Review! **Seriously, I appreciate anything. Constructive criticism welcome. This is my first fic, so any comments about how I can make it better, suggestions, how you liked it, anything would be great! Thanks so much :D

**Author's Note: **I apologize about the long break between! I had some issues to deal with, but I hope you'll still be able to get into the story! I can't wait to finish this story, I have it planned out and I'm excited to write it:D

**Chapter Seven:**

Cedric sat in bed, curtains drawn, unable to sleep due to the fluttering inside his chest. The day had passed in a hazy blur, though one moment he could remember with startling clarity.

_It happened. Again. What uncontrollable impulse inside causes me to lose myself like that so suddenly? Without warning. Without notice. It just take hold of me and I can't control it. I-I can't stop it…_

_…do I want to?_

They had broken apart after what seemed like entirely too brief of a moment, footsteps again echoing down the corridor. This time, though, unlike the hospital, Cedric did not refuse to meet Harry's gaze, did not mumble a flustered excuse. Instead, he looked right into Harry's piercing green eyes, right through them and saw a reflection of his own confused desires.

Before they had opened the door to the classroom to get back to their classes, they had looked at each other in silence. No words were needed, it seemed. At that moment, they both knew that something would be different from now on. Something couldn't be denied. There was a mutual acknowledgement, perhaps not yet an understanding, that had passed between them and had filled Cedric with indescribable happiness. They parted ways with a smile that held silent promise. The period of time when which they avoided each other had certainly passed, though what was to follow between them was yet to be seen.

The sixth year again felt his chest swell with joy at the memory. How he must have looked the rest of the day, a stupid grin planted irresistibly on his face. More than a few fellow Hufflepuffs had asked him if he was right in the head.

But as elated as Cedric felt, sitting there on his bed, something continued to eat away at the back of his mind, had been eating away at him ever since he lay in bed at the hospital ward the night they had begun to avoid each other. What was it that he felt for Harry? He was more than glad, surely, that their friendship remained intact. But he would be incredible dense not to realize that something else was going on. Twice he had found his lips locked with the Gryffindor's. That was not what blokes were supposed to do with each other! Yet Harry stirred so many feelings inside of him! Many of which he had never experienced before with any of his girlfriends, his friends, not anyone, to such a degree. The simultaneous urge to hold him protectively, to joke with him in easy camaraderie, to feel Harry's arms around him, to perhaps place his lips again on his own…

He ran his hands through his hair, frustrated at his inability to understand his own feelings. It was wrong. His father had made sure he understood that when he was younger. Men are not supposed to like other men. He had made sure Cedric knew that it was against the nature of things. Cedric's favorite uncle had moved in with another wizard, was immediately disowned, and as a young boy, his father's stony silence in response to Cedric's questions about why Uncle Alfred did not visit anymore was answer enough. It was wrong.

But how could something so wrong feel so right? It had felt so right when Cedric had held Harry in his arms, held him close. Their kiss, yes…kiss…the first was unexpected enough, the second had been even more so, had certainly surprised them both but once their lips touched, once they could do nothing to control the passion that overwhelmed them, Cedric could not deny that he didn't want it to end. That this time, it was no mistake. All his life he had felt an empty corner at the edge of his consciousness. He hadn't paid it much mind; he had other things to concentrate on. It wasn't until Harry Potter came along that the emptiness began to ache, perhaps in yearning for something it could see but not grasp…feel but not understand…

I'm no queer. Surely not. Cedric fought the urge to yawn, his eyelids becoming heavy. I'm just relieved we're friends again…friends…Being with Harry makes me feel complete. Father. I would never…I couldn't even if I wanted to…if I wanted to…those emerald eyes…

…those warm, soft lips…

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Harry sat on the edge of his seat in the champions tent, the sound of hundreds of students piling into the stands resounding through the tarp. The past few days before the First Task, Harry had been blissfully distracted, even the thought of facing a dragon receding into the back of his mind. He and Cedric, though they never got the opportunity to be alone and talk since the day in the empty classroom, never failed to meet each other's eyes when they passed in the hallways or sat in the Great Hall for meals. It was both a silent greeting of friends and an unconscious acknowledgement of a secret between them. No matter that it was not deliberate. Harry often had to do the opposite, and remind himself to not give anything away. It was hard though. The smallest or quickest silent exchanges between the two lasted Harry a good long while, gave him a newfound, rather pleasant imperviousness to taunts and anxiety, the only thing on his mind the smiling face of a certain handsome Hufflepuff.

But now the reality of what to come came back and hit him full force. A dragon. Though he had thankfully received a helpful hint from Mad-Eye Moody about playing to his strengths, Harry had just mastered the Summoning Charm the night before with Hermione's help. Ron still was not speaking to him. His self-doubt began to seep in and he wiped his hands on his pants to get rid of the clamminess. All the fear that he had harbored began to rise to the surface.

Then Cedric entered the tent, giving Harry the now familiar flutter inside his chest, and temporarily relieving Harry of his growing anxiety. He smiled shakily at the Gryffindor, clad in the yellow and navy blue shirt that sported his last name on the back. Harry wore the same, though in navy blue and maroon. Cedric glanced around quickly and seeing no one else but Fleur and Viktor absorbed in their own thoughts, he bent down and whispered, "How're you holding up, Harry?"

Harry looked up with a raised eyebrow in response.

Cedric chuckled nervously. "You're right. Stupid question." They both smiled, the heavy weight on their chest lessening. "You have a plan, right? I never got to ask you."

"Yeah, yeah I do. You?"

"Yeah, a pretty shaky plan but it's the best I've got." They looked at each other in silence for a moment longer before Cedric hastily stood up straight as Mr. Crouch walked in, followed by Ludo Bagman and the heads of the schools.

"Alright, champions! Gather around! Here in this bag is your First Task!"

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Harry sat atop the shoulders of his fellow Gryffindors, golden egg raised in the air triumphantly, his heart bursting with happiness. He couldn't stop smiling. Their cheers and chanting of his name were not the main cause of his elation though. Neither was his top score in the First Task, nevertheless the fact that he survived unscathed save for the deep cut in his arm and other small injuries.

Perhaps it was the fact that Ron and him had finally made up after several hurtful weeks of stony silence.

No, no. It was something else as well. Perhaps the brief instant his eyes had met gray when he walked into the healer's tent to get his injuries treated, the sixth year who had been sitting there waiting, taking long strides towards him and then, the two embracing fiercely, words of, "You had me worried, but I knew you could do it!" and "You were brilliant, Harry!" They had stayed in that tight embrace for a few long, satisfying moments, Harry's eyes closed and savoring the beautiful feeling he felt standing there with the Hufflepuff.

Ron had walked in then, only to see a very pale Cedric standing in a corner, curiously absorbed in a copy of the Daily Prophet, and a very red Harry sitting on a cot. It was at that time that Ron had apologized, and Hermione came in shortly after, extremely relieved that the two had made up. Madame Pomfrey bustled in, hustling the rest of them out, and then Harry had taken off his shirt so that she could close up his arm. He remembered now that he didn't know where he had placed it, had worn his school robes back up to the school. Perhaps it would turn up later.

"Harry! Open the egg!" Harry was jerked back to present time by Fred's call.

"Do you really want me to open it?" he prodded playfully.

The Gryffindors yelled a unison, "YES!"

Harry complied and immediately regretted it as the common room was filled with the most awful screeching. He was dropped to his feet as everyone used their hands to cover their ears. Frantically, he clasped the egg back together and the room was bearable again.

"What was that!"

It was very late by the time the celebrating died down and everyone headed up to their dormitories. Harry lay in bed, curtains drawn, the golden egg sitting on his nightstand. He didn't worry about the Second Task yet; it seemed ages away. But there were only a few hours left till morning and those few hours seemed longer than this next deadline.

Harry unfolded a bit of parchment that he had carried with him all day, smoothed it out carefully and reread it for the thousandth time.

_Harry, do you want to meet tomorrow for a walk around the lake? Maybe seven in the morning when people are still sleeping? -Cedric_

He smiled reminiscently of his response.

_You bet. _

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**Author's Note:**

Sorry again for the long wait! I haven't forgotten about the story! Hopefully the next chapter will be coming very soon!

And again, thank you to everyone who reviewed! I really do appreciate it so much:heart:

Please tell me what you think! And if you like where it's going!


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **Basically…I don't lay claim to any of it! lol…:heart: J.K.Rowling and Annie Proulx!

**Read and Review! **Seriously, I appreciate anything. Constructive criticism welcome. This is my first fic, so any comments about how I can make it better, suggestions, how you liked it, anything would be great! Thanks so much :D

Chapter Eight

Harry rubbed his arms as he walked, the chill morning air raising bumps on his skin. He scanned the grounds eagerly, anxiously. A tall figure was standing at the bank, looking across the water at the Durmstrang ship that lay anchored in the distance, bobbing gently in the middle of the lake. He called out tentatively. "Cedric?"

The figure turned around and Harry's heart gave a small jump as Cedric broke into an easy smile. "Harry! I'm so glad you came. I know it's early."

"Wouldn't have slept much anyways," Harry laughed softly. "Surprised I'm still alive, really." Walking slowly around the perimeter of the lake and enjoying the crisp air, a comfortable silence settled between the two young men. The calming peace of the early morning was all around them, everything quiet and still except for the chirping of the crickets and the occasional bird call. The sun had just begun to peek through the mountains, throwing rays of dappled light across the water. There was no one else around.

_Should I say anything about…about the thing between us? That's whyCedric wanted to talk, right? What would I say? I don't even know…I don't even know what it is, where to start. Are there even words to describe what's going on with me? With us? That thing that takes hold of us so suddenly, it scares me sometimes. And at the same time it makes me feel so...I don't know...he feels it too, he must. I can see it in his eyes sometimes, just like he must see it in mine._As if on cue, Cedric stopped walking and turned to face Harry, looking as if some internal battle was raging inside.

"Harry, I wanted to talk to you about something, I'm sure you know that's why I asked you to meet with me." Cedric scuffed the ground with his foot as he tried to find the words to express what he had been fighting ever since their fated meeting on the way to the World Cup.

"Actually, so did I," Harry added, their eyes meeting each other and in a short instant, again revealing a shared vulnerability, a turmoil of confusion, fear, and perhaps more importantly, of hope.

Suddenly without warning, Harry's foot slipped on the wet mud of the bank where he had stepped backwards and Cedric grabbed for his arm. The next second, both had tumbled rather ungracefully into the icy lake, their gasps of surprise muffled by the water as they struggled to regain their footing on the slippery bottom and bring their heads out above the surface. Harry emerged first, soon followed by Cedric and his cry of "Merlin, that's freezing!" They turned to see the other, dripping wet and hair matted across their faces, teeth chattering with the cold. It was only a matter of time before they broke out into unbridled fits of laughter, stomachs hurting from the exertion.

Gradually, they calmed down, faces pleasantly flushed from the merriment. "You do know that I blame you entirely for this," Cedric prodded jokingly.

"Well I would thank you for trying to save me, but I'd have to say you failed miserably and it's no fault but your own that you decided to take a morning swim with me," replied Harry, receiving a grin and a splash of water in the face in return.

Suddenly they realized how close they were standing in the water, the lake lapping softly at their chests. Cedric reached out instinctively to brush one of Harry's wet locks out of his eyes. He flushed a slight pink when he realized what he had done, his fingertips touching lightly on the Gryffindor's face. Bringing his hand back slowly, he met Harry's eyes only to see him looking back, emerald orbs piercing with their intensity. What had they been saying? It was so quiet.

Suddenly a creak sounded across the lake and their gaze was broken. They both turned to see in the distance, Krum stretching on the ship deck, dressed in only swim trunks. Harry and Cedric tried to stay silent and stay still, watching as Krum finished stretching and walked over to the edge of the ship, luckily not looking in the direction of the two motionless in the water. Then, with perfect form, he jumped from the ship and dove into the middle of the frigid lake. Harry and Cedric shared an incredulous look and tried to muffle their laughter. "That bloke is mental! Who'd willingly jump into the freezing lake at this hour?" They scrambled as quietly as possible out of the water and onto the dry grass, sides heaving with contagious laughter for the second time that morning.

When they finally caught hold of their breath again, they looked at each other shivering with the cold, shirts clinging to their wet skin.

"We should probably get going," whispered Cedric, grinning. He glanced at his watch and his eyes widened when he realized how quickly time had passed.

"Yeah, people might be up already," Harry replied, teeth chattering but the corners of his mouth nevertheless curving up into a silly smile. "Like Krum. We're lucky he didn't see us."

"And then we'd really be in trouble because he might've asked us to join his morning swim!"

Harry smiled.Yet there was an unspoken, innate feeling both had that there were other reasons it was a good thing that no one had observed their meeting this early morning. "So, I'll see you around then?"

"You bet," Cedric replied, eyes twinkling, as they paused for one last moment to look at each other quickly before splitting off at the entrance and sneaking quietly to their separate ways, trailing water on the stone walkways. The Hufflepuff headed towards the common room, smiling at their morning antics and how easy it had become to smile from both the inside and outside recently. It wasn't until he had snuck inside his room that he realized he had never gotten the chance to finish what he had set out to say.

To be continued…

**Author's Note: **Ahh! I apologize for the long break again. And this brief chapter. But it leads to many many other exciting things and I hope you'll bear with me and continue to follow the story! I do apologize though, it's annoying to have stories go on hugggge breaks, I know. But I promise to finish this one! I have to! For my sake especially, lol, I can't wait to finish their story! I'm already done with the next chapter which I really like, plus it's a lot longer than this one. Yay! So hopefully if you tell me what you think so far I can post the next one very soon:D

Ok, and as always…THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED! It makes it that much easier to keep writing. So keep reviewing :D Thank you so much!


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **Basically…I don't lay claim to any of it! lol…:heart: J.K. Rowling and Annie Proulx! And I borrowed some parts from the fourth book directly this time.

**Read and Review! **Seriously, I appreciate anything. Constructive criticism welcome. This is my first fic, so any comments about how I can make it better, suggestions, how you liked it, anything would be great! Thanks so much :D

Chapter Nine 

It soon became clear to both boys that finding time to be alone together was harder than they thought. They found themselves in an unwanted spotlight ever since the First Task, and though they might have been used to the attention being the Boy-Who-Lived and the Hufflepuff hottie, so to speak, never before had it bothered them to such a degree.

Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that every waking moment, and then often not even in consciousness, that one would constantly have the other on his mind. But innately, they knew that the thing between them wouldn't do well to be known, that they needed to be patient and careful. Easier said than done, though. Keeping their interactions devoid of anything telling was hard enough; on top of that was the frustrating inability to even exchange a few words without being observed by half the school at any given moment.

Their last meeting at the lake had left their unfinished conversation hanging. By now it was undeniable to both Harry and Cedric that they…shared something. But it was the unconfirmed status of what it exactly was between them that left both of them in a constant state of self-doubt and uncertainty. All they knew was that they needed to have time to talk it out, to simply be with each other and in that way somehow fulfill the deep yearning that pulled at their insides. It was this pulling feeling, hard to describe but impossible to ignore, that came whenever Cedric caught even a glimpse of tousled black hair, or when Harry heard any mention of a certain Hufflepuff's name.

The latter become increasingly preoccupied during the day. More often than not, Hermione had to prod him to stop dazing out in class or remind him to do his homework. To Harry, the concept of schoolwork had become a strange one. Strange and wasteful. He could be spending his time not with a quill and parchment but with someone. It was only until even Ron, the most unproductive of the three, sat Harry down himself to finish his Potions essay one night that Harry started concentrating remotely on his work.

To Cedric, it was like a blessing and a curse all at once. Consumed by his passions, the urge to take the Gryffindor into his arms again, to just be together, how often he would lie in his bed at night and suffer from the constant suppression of his longings. It scared him how badly he needed to actually act upon them for once. He was surprised that as strong as the knowledge of his father's anger and other's possible reactions to the discovery of their unorthodox feelings, that he still was able to stop himself from showing how much more the other Hogwarts champion meant to him.

But for both, there was that one spark that made nothing else matter. That tiny hope, that undying hope that pervaded all else no matter how hard it became to hold back. It was for that hope of something not quite understood that kept them going day by day.

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"Harry, you're dazing off again."

No response.

"Harry!"

"Yeah?" Harry said, startled out of his reverie. He quickly looked away from the Hufflepuff prefect at the other table, mentally berating himself for letting down his guard. He need not have worried. If only he had known that Hermione, though always clever and perceptive, had made one of the few wrong conclusions in her young career.

Where he had been staring at chestnut hair and gray eyes, Hermione had looked in his line of his sight and seen a pretty Ravenclaw girl laughing and glancing at Harry from the corner of her long lashes.

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"Weasley! Will you please pay attention!" Professor McGonagall berated sharply. It was nearing the end of class and Ron was busy throwing wads of parchment at Harry who had again, dazed out.

Ron threw Harry a dirty look that was returned with a ball of parchment in the head when McGonagall had turned her attention away.

"The Yule Ball is approaching—a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament—and an opportunity for us to socialize with our foreign guests…" She continued on about proper dress code and behavior, which Harry listened to half-heartedly. He didn't know what all the girls were giggling about either. Finally, everyone got up to leave and Harry was headed out with them when Professor McGonagall stopped him.

"Harry, I'd like a word with you before you go."

Thinking it had something to do with his recent lackluster performance in her Transfiguration class, he approached her desk rather unwillingly. Professor McGonagall waited until the rest of the class had gone, and then said, "Potter, the champions and their partners—"

"What partners?" said Harry.

Professor McGonagall looked suspiciously at him, as though she thought he was trying to be funny. "Your partners for the Yule Ball, Potter," she said coldly. "Your dance partners."

Harry's insides seemed to curl up and shrivel.

"Dance partners?" He felt heat rush up to his face. "I don't dance," he said quickly.

"Oh yes, you do," she responded irritably. "That's what I'm telling you. Traditionally, the champions and their partners open the ball." Harry had a sudden mental image of himself, his hand on a Hufflepuff's shoulder and a warm hand around his waist. If his face could get any redder, it was now. "It's traditional," she repeated firmly. "You are a Hogwarts champion, and you will do what is expected of you as a representative of the school."

"But—I don't—"

"Make sure you get yourself a partner, Potter," Professor McGonagall said in a very final sort of way.

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To Harry, the school seemed to be thrown into a sort of frenzy from the news of the coming ball. The girls, especially. It was amazing how many girls Hogwarts suddenly seemed to hold, though never before had he been so indifferent to their giggling and whispering.

"Why do they always have to move in packs? How're you supposed to get one on their own to ask them?" Ron asked Harry one day as they walked through the hallways ringing with shrieking laughter and excited whispers. "Maybe I should lasso one? Got any idea who you're going to try?"

Harry knew very well whom he'd _like_ to ask, but he also knew perfectly well that it just simply wasn't an option.

Ron mistook his friend's pained expression for something else. "Listen, you're not going to have any trouble. You're Hogwarts champion. You just tied for first at the First Task. I bet they'll be queuing up to go with you."

On the whole, Harry had to admit that even with the embarrassing prospect of opening the ball before him, life had definitely improved since he had gotten through the first task in regards to unpleasantness from fellow students. He wasn't receiving nearly as many snide comments in the corridors anymore, which he suspected, with a pleasant tingle inside, had to do with Cedric telling his fellow Hufflepuffs to leave Harry alone.

Hermione joined them from behind before Harry could start the protest that was about to come out of his mouth. "He's right you know. You've saved the Sorcerer's Stone, and you fought You-Know-Who again when the Chamber of Secrets was opened. Then you've become Hogwarts champion even when you're not of age and on top of that you showed up anyone who doubted you when you battled the Horntail and did the best job mind you, no matter what score Karkaroff gave you. You've never been more interesting, and frankly, you've never been more fanciable."

Ron gagged on his own spit. "I wouldn't have gone that far—"

Hermione ignored him. "Just go up and ask her, Harry. There's no reason she'll say no."

"Wait, wha--?" Ron and Harry said together.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You know, Cho Chang? I've seen how you look at her. I'm sure she'd love to go with you."

"Ohh…." Harry thought for a second to himself. "Right."

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At that very moment, Cedric had been sitting in the Hufflepuff common room with a group of fellow students, all of whom were discussing the very same topic. Cedric stared absent mindedly into the fireplace.

"Hey, Cedric. Do you know who you're going to take to the ball?" prodded one boy. Every single girl in the room was suddenly alert, holding their breath.

"Oh, I haven't really thought about it much." Wistful sighs suddenly filled the room, but Cedric was oblivious. He was thinking of a certain messy-haired Gryffindor. Again. Not that he could ever take Harry to the ball. He released his own wistful sigh.

"You know, Ced. That Ravenclaw girl, Cho Chang. You should ask her. She's pretty and popular, plus she's good at Quidditch. You'd go well together," the same student suggested honestly. The Hufflepuff who made the suggestion suddenly regretted his words and swallowed the lump in his throat; angry glares from jealous girls bore into him from every direction.

"Yeah, maybe," Cedric said nonchalantly. No one could hear the pained resignation in his voice.

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Ron and Hermione's angry spat still rang in his ears. True, Ron had been slightly tactless when he reminded her that she was a girl. But perhaps he had taken it too far when he laughed outright after Hermione said that somebody had already asked her to the Yule Ball. Anyways, he was sure they would make up in the end. They always did.

He and Ron had made a promise after she left in a huff, to get a date before the end of the day. _Just get it over with_, Harry thought to himself rather bitterly. _It's not like it really matters what girl you take anyways. One is as good as any other._

He planned to ask someone right after he delivered his letter to Sirius. Just having sent it with Hedwig, he was leaving the Owlery when he bumped, coincidentally, with the very girl Hermione had wrongly suspected him of liking.

"Hi Harry," Cho greeted him cheerfully.

_Well…why not?_

"Oh, hey Cho. Actually, I was wondering if you wanted to go to the ball with me?" Harry was surprised how easily the words came out.

"Oh!" The Ravenclaw flushed pink. "Oh Harry, I'm really sorry," and she truly looked it. "I've already said I'll go with someone else."

"Oh," said Harry. "Ok, no problem." It was odd, how little this rejection affected him.

"I'm really sorry," she said again.

"No really, it's okay."

They stood there looking at each other, and then Cho said, "Well—"

"Yeah," said Harry.

"Well, 'bye," said Cho, still rather pink in the face. She started to walk away.

Harry, in a random spurt of curiosity, called after her. "Oh, who're you going with?"

"Oh—Cedric," she said. "Cedric Diggory."

"Oh right," said Harry. His insides seemed to disappear. Forgetting completely about dinner, he walked slowly up towards Gryffindor Tower, Cho's voice echoing in his ears with every step he took. "_Cedric—Cedric Diggory."_

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To be continued…

**Author's Note:**

Wow, I know, I updated so soon! Lol, it's becoming easier and easier to write now. I decided not to post everything I had so far, it seemed like a good place to cut it off before it got too long. And that means I have quite a good start on the next chapter already:D

So yayy! Review and then I can post the next one! ;D

And thank you to everyone who reviewed for the last one! I appreciate it soo much :heart:


	10. Chapter 10

**Title:** Taking Hold

**Pairing: **Harry/Cedric

**Summary: **(Inspired by Brokeback Mountain) Harry and Cedric had always thought they only had feelings for girls. But after they meet and a friendship blooms, a new feeling slowly overtakes both of them. Struggling separately to find out what ails them, Harry and Cedric only know that this _thing_, this thing takes hold of them whenever they're in each other's presence. They can't describe it, and both are initially unwillingly or unable to admit their true feelings, especially when they are confused themselves.

This _thing_…a thing called love.

**Disclaimer: **Basically…I don't lay claim to any of it! lol…:heart: J.K.Rowling and Annie Proulx!

**Read and Review! **Seriously, I appreciate anything. I've been reading stuff for a while, but I'm new to writing my own, so any comments would be great! Thanks!

**Author's Note: **Wow, I know I kinda disappeared off the face of the planet for a while. I pulled up this chapter a little while ago and decided to finish it and stop somewhere that worked, and it made me remember how much I wanted to finish this story. Hopefully you guys like it and tell me what you think!

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**RECAP from Chapter Nine** (since it's been so long)

Ron and Hermione's angry spat still rang in his ears. True, Ron had been slightly tactless when he reminded her that she was a girl. But perhaps he had taken it too far when he laughed outright after Hermione said that somebody had already asked her to the Yule Ball. Anyways, he was sure they would make up in the end. They always did.

He and Ron had made a promise after she left in a huff, to get a date before the end of the day. _Just get it over with_, Harry thought to himself rather bitterly. _It's not like it really matters what girl you take anyways. One is as good as any other._

He planned to ask someone right after he delivered his letter to Sirius. Just having sent it with Hedwig, he was leaving the Owlery when he bumped, coincidentally, with the very girl Hermione had wrongly suspected him of liking.

"Hi Harry," Cho greeted him cheerfully.

_Well…why not?_

"Oh, hey Cho. Actually, I was wondering if you wanted to go to the ball with me?" Harry was surprised how easily the words came out.

"Oh!" The Ravenclaw flushed pink. "Oh Harry, I'm really sorry," and she truly looked it. "I've already said I'll go with someone else."

"Oh," said Harry. "Ok, no problem." It was odd, how little this rejection affected him.

"I'm really sorry," she said again.

"No really, it's okay."

They stood there looking at each other, and then Cho said, "Well—"

"Yeah," said Harry.

"Well, 'bye," said Cho, still rather pink in the face. She started to walk away.

Harry, in a random spurt of curiosity, called after her. "Oh, who're you going with?"

"Oh—Cedric," she said. "Cedric Diggory."

"Oh right," said Harry. His insides seemed to disappear. Forgetting completely about dinner, he walked slowly up towards Gryffindor Tower, Cho's voice echoing in his ears with every step he took. "_Cedric—Cedric Diggory."_

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**Chapter Ten**

While other students were in no mood to work during this period of rest before the Yule Ball (even Hermione had put her books down), Ron was rightly shocked when he walked in on Harry the very first day of vacation in the common room, poring over a Charms textbook and scribbling words on parchment.

"Harry, mate, you do know that Charms essay isn't due 'till after break?"

"Yeah…well…I thought I'd get started early, you know." More scribbling and page turning.

Ron didn't know what to say, Harry had obviously gone mental. He managed a weak "Err…alright," and plopped himself down next to Harry.

Ron figured it might have something to do with the fact that Harry had asked Cho Chang to the ball, but she was going with that Pretty Boy Diggory. He himself had quite an ordeal with the part-veela from Beauxbatons, but proudly considered himself completely recovered from his rejection (though he still ran and hid at any sight of Fleur). But really, doing homework early was a sign of extreme mental collapse. Plus, Harry had secured himself Parvati Patil who was good-looking enough.

"Err…Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"Why don't we go outside for a snowball fight? Fred, George, Dean, and Seamus are headed out before lunch starts?"

"No, that's ok. I think I'll finish this essay first. You go on ahead though," Harry replied, not looking up from his work.

Now Ron was seriously worried, and got up from his chair. "Alright…err…come outside and join us once you're done," completely intending to get Hermione's help, fast. Of course, if she was still speaking to him.

Once he couldn't hear Ron's footsteps out of the common room anymore, Harry's hand paused over the parchment. _Cedric—Cedric Diggory. So he was going with Cho Chang._ It seemed unnecessarily important to him who had asked who. _What am I thinking? Of course it doesn't matter. _Harry felt an intense emotion bubble up from inside. No, it wasn't jealousy. Or anger. It was something far worse.

The trickle of hope that had kept Harry going, the trickle built up from all he and Cedric's short exchanges, shared laughs…any time that they were together where just _being_ seemed so right…that trickle depleted a little. _What was I thinking? _He had disillusioned himself. What was he expecting to happen? It didn't matter in the end. In this world, in the end, it's a boy and a girl who can be together. There's no place for anything else.

It was too hard to deal with the growing feeling of futility. Hope is humanity's greatest weapon and greatest defense, and Harry was slowly losing his.

His hand resumed writing. Sentences written. Pages turned. It made it easier that way.

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It happened so fast. Before Cedric knew it his mouth had opened to speak at the nudge from his fellow Hufflepuff when he next saw the black-haired Ravenclaw exiting the dining hall. He might have been speaking Parseltongue for all he knew.

When he came back to his senses, the guys around him were congratulating him on securing the prettiest girl at school as a date to the Yule Ball and it was then that Cedric had realized what had just happened.

_What was her name again? Chang…Cho Chang, that's right. She's the Ravenclaw Seeker. _

At that thought, another immediately followed. _Seeker. Harry._ It was funny how everything he heard these days was like an unconscious word association game that always ended up on the same answer. An automatic default to every thought that entered his head.

_Harry._ The only one thing on his mind.

An urgency pressed on Cedric's chest. Above all, he needed to see him again.

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The day had finally come. The excitement in the air was thicker than Christmas custard, though the girls were significantly louder about it. Hermione had retreated to her rooms five hours before the dance started with the rest of the girls, leaving the boys baffled and hanging around with nothing to do until about thirty minutes before the doors opened.

At the bottom of the stairs Harry stood stoically with Ron. The latter was plucking forlornly at stray threads from the messily cut ruffles of his dress robes, did not notice when Harry's head snapped up at the sight of a tall, gorgeous Hufflepuff, only to look quickly away when he saw him listening attentively to Cho Chang. A familiar, elusive ache had returned.

If only Harry had known that just a few moments ago, Cedric had glanced his way and smiled broadly at how handsome Harry looked, how striking his green eyes lit up against the dark silk, how the sleek dress robes fitted perfectly across his back. The smile wouldn't go away, even when he was pretending to listen to Cho chatting next to him.

The Gryffindor tried not to think about anything. Clear his mind. So bent on not thinking about anything, he didn't notice when Parvati looked annoyed that all he could manage was a "you look nice" when she came down the stairs in her beautiful gown and elegant hair. Taking Harry's arm is hers, she steered him forcefully to the front of the doors of the Great Hall where the other champions were gathering, looking regally at the other students gathering around while Harry looked determinedly at the back of Roger Davies head.

The doors opened. The champions danced. And the night had begun.

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Ron and Harry sat sullenly at a table while the dance floor teemed with students. Parvati and Padme had left to dance with boys from Beauxbatons and Ron had spent the better part of the last hour glaring at Viktor Krum, who was twirling Hermione around in circles. Harry had caught several glimpses of Cedric and Cho, all of in which they seemed to be enjoying each other's company immensely. It was hard to suppress the bitterness.

Finally, Harry couldn't take it anymore. He stood up and said, "Ron, I'm going to go outside for some air."

Ron replied "okay," not paying much attention, as he was too busy sending Viktor the thousandth death stare of the night. Standing quickly, Harry headed towards the entrance to the gardens outside, not looking back.

It was at that exact moment that Cedric had raised his head above the crowd and seen the glimpse of the Gryffindor exit the Great Hall. He had been scanning the crowd the whole time, looking for the familiar black hair while dancing with Cho obligingly, and then, seeing nothing for almost an hour, resignedly had pasted a cheery smile on like he had for so long. But now there was no doubt. It was him. Excusing himself hastily, not caring about being rude, he pushed his way out of the packed dance floor and ran after the fleeting figure.

Once he stepped outside though, Harry was nowhere in sight. He walked around the maze of bushes, looking desperately, noticed Fleur and Davies' faces glued together without interest before he stopped and discerned a figure in the distance. Heading toward the hedges on the far side of the garden, he saw Harry, sitting on the end of a stone bench, fingering a white rose.

Suddenly Harry felt a warm body come up behind his, strong arms wrapping around his shoulders, pulling him close. A voice shook slightly as it called his name. "Harry."

A wave of oncoming emotions threatened to overwhelm Harry's already turmoil-filled body as his throat constricted and then…and then, gradually let go. He closed his eyes as he rested his head back on Cedric's chest, not knowing why he did it, every cell in his body telling him nothing except…except that it was right. Neither quite understood. Such simple comfort in listening to the soft beating of the other's hearts, never wanting to move, never wanting to part. There was no more room for the doubts and misgivings that Harry might have had, the beauty of the moment washing everything else out.

Too soon, voices sounded through the bushes and Cedric reluctantly let go of Harry as they kneeled quietly behind the cover of the leaves. The Hufflepuff was struck by a sudden fear of how easily someone could have seen them, and how easily he had disregarded caution when he had first sighted the Gryffindor. There was no stopping the impulses that overcame him around Harry.

The conversation taking place on the other side distracted him from his thoughts. Squinting his eyes through the dark boughs, Cedric could discern two large figures. Only two people could break seven feet.

"Is that Hagrid and Madame Maxime??" he whispered.

Harry nodded in confirmation.

"-agrid. What iz eet zat you vanted to tell me?

"I knew there was something different about you right when I first lay eyes on you, Olympe."

Harry and Cedric looked at each other uncomfortably. This did not seem like a conversation they wanted to hear.

"And what was that something, -agrid?" Maxime purred.

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"Harry! Did you see this yet?" Hermione said, her eyes blazing and looking like she was about to cry.

"No, see what?"

"This!" and Hermione shoved a copy of the Daily Prophet in front of his face.

_DUMBLEDORE'S GIANT MISTAKE_

He scanned it quickly. "Oh yeah, we--…I mean, I overheard them talking last night. Did you know Hagrid was half giant? He's never mentioned it"

"Well I always suspected he might've been. But there's a reason he would have kept something like that a secret."

"I don't get it."

Ron joined them at the table. "Harry, mate. Giants have a bad rep. They're vicious creatures, and were responsible for a lot of the Muggle killings when You-Know-Who was in power. Most have been wiped out by each other, though they say the surviving giants hide in the mountains."

"What I don't understand is how he could let that Skeeter cow overhear him."

She must have been near Cedric and him that night to overhear Hagrid and Olympe. He didn't see her anywhere though, he was sure. Then again, he had been occupied. Harry froze. Had she seen them together too? His stomach dropped as dizziness began to put his vision out of focus. He grabbed the newspaper again and flipped through it feverishly. Was there anything? It would be too juicy for Rita Skeeter not to pass up.

Last few pages. The panic began to subside. He flipped to the back cover. Nothing.

"Harry, is something else wrong?" Hermione asked. They were both looking at him strangely.

"Oh..uhh…no. No, everything's fine. I was just checking to see if there was anything else on him."

"Ughh!" Hermione bursted out angrily. "She never passes up a chance to ruin someone's life, does she?"

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Moonlight fell into the room through the window. Harry waited a little longer, listening for the deep breathing and snores of his roommates before he slipped out of bed and reached for his faithful Invisibility cloak and Marauder's map. "Lumos." Scanning the map he spotted who he was looking for and threw on his cloak.

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Cedric wandered the hallways on prefect duties. It had been an uneventful patrol this night; everyone seemed too tired from all the festivities to be up to too much mischief. Suddenly he felt something behind him and as he whirled around, wand ready, he was shocked to see Harry appearing out of thin air.

"Harry!"

Harry put a finger to his lips. "Is there anywhere we can go to talk?" he whispered.

Cedric thought for a moment, "Yeah, there's a room right down this corridor. Follow me."

The two walked quickly down the hallway until Cedric stopped in front of a doorway and said, "pine fresh." The door opened and they both slipped inside before closing it again.

"Wow, what is this place?" Harry asked, taking off the cloak. Looking around, it seemed like a small swimming pool without any water. There were hundreds of gleaming brass taps all around and piles of neatly stacked towels in a corner.

"It's the prefect's bathroom, one of the best perks I'd have to say. Look, the taps all have different kinds of bubbles," Cedric said as he walked over to one and turned it on. Immediately a thick pink foam came pouring out. He watched the tap for a little longer before looking back towards Harry.

"I read the article in the prophet. Do you think Rita Skeeter…" Cedric started.

Harry took a breath. "Yeah, that's what I wanted to talk about too. I didn't see anything in the papers. You would think she wouldn't hesitate to make something out of…" His voice trailed off. He didn't know how to describe the two of them, what they had together if they did at all...

Cedric stepped closer to Harry. "To make something out of…us," he said gently, looking a little surprised after he said it.

He suddenly broke out passionately. "Because we have something, I can't deny it anymore!" he said almost angrily. "Because every time I saw you I felt this overwhelming hope and every time you left and I didn't say anything I felt like I couldn't breathe. Like my stomach was being ripped right out. And then those moments together! They made me the happiest I had ever let myself be in a long time. Everything seemed right. Everything felt right, even when it didn't make sense in my head. Everything felt so right…"

Cedric suddenly felt as if his legs couldn't hold him up anymore and sat shakily down at the edge of the bath and watched the pink foam filling the tub. He didn't want to look at Harry, didn't quite know what to expect.

After a moment of silence, Harry came and sat down next to Cedric, hand boldly taking Cedric's in his own. The Hufflepuff looked up at the touch and their eyes met.

"It's nobody's business but ours," Harry said, and let his head rest gently on Cedric's shoulder.

To be continued… 

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	11. Chapter 11

**Title:** Taking Hold

**Pairing: **Harry/Cedric

**Summary: **(Inspired by Brokeback Mountain) Harry and Cedric had always thought they only had feelings for girls. But after they meet and a friendship blooms, a new feeling slowly overtakes both of them. Struggling separately to find out what ails them, Harry and Cedric only know that this _thing_, this thing takes hold of them whenever they're in each other's presence. They can't describe it, and both are initially unwillingly or unable to admit their true feelings, especially when they are confused themselves.

This _thing_…a thing called love.

**Disclaimer: **Basically…I don't lay claim to any of it! lol…:heart: J.K.Rowling and Annie Proulx!

**Read and Review! **Seriously, I appreciate anything. I've been reading stuff for a while, but I'm new to writing my own, so any comments would be great! Thanks!

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**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

The night became a safe haven for Harry and Cedric. It was then that they met up one time after another, sometimes in the prefect's bathroom, sometimes in the Astronomy tower, any place where they weren't likely to be bothered. It was also then that Cedric talked freely for the first time in ages, nothing holding him back. For both, gone was the denial, the doubt. It was during the nights where they found a companion and such comfort in their own skin, in each other's company.

Harry brought his map and cloak as extra precautions, which saved them from quite a few close calls. His two treasured possessions he had revealed to Cedric much to the latter's amazement and curiosity, among other facets of his life. Harry had just relayed his relationship to Sirius Black to a fully attentive Cedric, and what really happened when Black escaped Hogwarts during his third year.

"What other surprises do you have hidden up your sleeve?" Cedric said stunned one night, shaking his head in admiration. They had found a window ledge in an abandoned wing over the lake. There they sat facing each other in the moonlight, legs casually slung across the stone. He raised an overly quizzical brow at Harry and leaned forward, plucking at Harry's sleeve playfully to see if there was "anything up there."

Harry laughed and knocked his hand away in mock indignation. "It's your turn anyway. I've talked so much about me, you'll get tired of listening to me go on and on."

"Never," Cedric said without hesitation, with the utmost sincerity.

A warmth suddenly snuck its way up into Harry's chest. On a sudden impulse, he switched positions and moved towards Cedric, head leaning back on the Hufflepuff's chest. Cedric smiled warmly and wrapped his arms across Harry's shoulders.

"Hmm…well…let's see," mused Cedric. "When I was three I ate a handful of Floo Powder…you can imagine how well that went." Harry winced at the thought, but couldn't help but laugh as well. "Hey! I had to spend four days at St. Mungo's!" grinned Cedric. "And…when I was four, I stuck my dad's wand up my nose…at seven I broke my wrist and arm from a broomstick accident…am I boring you yet? It's not quite as exciting as your time travelling or defeating the Dark Lord and all."

"No, keep going," smiled Harry. "I'm enjoying hearing how you were a walking disaster…not that anything's changed," he added, looking very reflective. That earned him a good hair ruffle.

"As I was saying…let's see…in my first year…

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"Hey Ron. Have you noticed how tired Harry looks lately?" Hermione had finally made up with Ron out of concern for the third member of their trio, who was again, sleeping through breakfast.

"Who erks ired?" asked Ron, mouth full of oatmeal.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Harry, Ron! Harry looks tired all the time, what's he up to all night anyways?"

Ron swallowed. "Oh right. He's been falling asleep in class…more than usual anyways. Maybe he's stressed about the Second Task? I mean, he goes to bed when I do."

Hermione looked thoughtful. "Hmm…I guess. We should check up on him and see how he's doing with that." Mind decided, she picked up her books from the table along with a scone for Harry and stood up. Looking expectedly at Ron, who continued to be immersed in his breakfast, she finally kicked his chair leg impatiently.

"Ok woman! Let a man eat his breakfast once in a while!" grumbled Ron, before shoving as much oatmeal into his mouth as he could and standing up to join her.

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Harry awoke to the blurry image of two people standing over him in bed.

"Huh?" he said groggily. He put on his glasses to reveal his two friends.

"Here, Harry," said Hermione, holding out the scone in a napkin. "You better hurry, classes start soon."

"Oh thanks, Hermione, you're the best." Harry ate it hungrily in three bites. When his friends continued to stand at the edge of his bed, looking expectantly at him, he swallowed the last bit of scone. "Yes?"

"We just wanted to know why you've been so tired lately. It's as if you stay up the whole night doing other stuff. If it's the second task, we can help you, you know. How far have you gotten?" Hermione asked.

Harry's mind raced. "Oh yeah, that. Yeah I've almost gotten it figured out," he managed to stumble out.

"Ooh that's great, Harry! Good for you! These kinds of things you really want to prepare ahead of time."

Harry felt a twinge in his chest for lying to his friend, but he'd work on the egg extra hard to make for it later, he promised himself.

"See Hermione? I told you he had everything under control," Ron said smugly.

Hermione shot him a glare before reminding Harry again that class was starting soon, walking out to let him get ready.

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Harry unsuccessfully tried to shield another yawn from Cedric's view. It was one in the morning, and they had returned to the prefects bathroom to see each other again. The miniature pool was filled with a mixture of bubbles, and they had rolled up their pants to dangle feet in the water, shoulders leaning on the other's.

"I saw that Harry," Cedric said, an eyebrow raised.

Harry looked up, all innocence. "Saw what?" When Cedric continued to look at him in the same off way, he sighed in resignation and kicked his feet lightly in the water. "I hate lying to Hermione and Ron. They're my best mates, and they're concerned about…"

When Cedric looked nothing but attentive, Harry continued. "They're concerned about why I'm so tired during the day…"

The Hufflepuff looked sheepish. "Yeah, my school work hasn't been the best lately. McGonagall talked to me after class one time, telling me not to let the Second Task keep me from remembering that N.E.W.T.S. are coming up and everything."

Harry gave Cedric a concerned look. "Oh wow, I forgot you had all that to worry about too."

"Oh, don't worry about me," Cedric laughed. "There are some things that are more important to me now," he added absentmindedly. The words came out, followed by an embarrassed smile at what he had just said. "I mean…school's still important of course…but..uh…what I meant is…that—"

His stuttering was short-lived as Harry leaned in, cutting Cedric off with his lips. The Hufflepuff closed his eyes, a warmth seeping into his veins that the hot water could never do. When they finally broke apart reluctantly, their kiss tender, they looked at each other, smiling softly in the moonlight.

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They decided to hold off on their nightly meetings for a bit to catch up on school, especially after the inquiries of friends and teachers alike. They both agreed it was for the best; they needed to avoid all suspicion possible, after all, especially since there was plenty of attention on both of them from the Tournament already.

Easier said than done though.

Seeing each other only at mealtimes and occasionally on the way to classes, it was the hardest thing for Cedric not to give anything away. Harry, likewise, though getting more sleep from the lack of their after hours meetings, found himself struggling not to always look around anxiously for any sign of the Hufflepuff in the hallways. But the thought of Cedric, the knowledge of him, continued to fuel his inner happiness even when they weren't together for long stretches of time.

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Cedric grinned as he pulled Harry into the refuge of a dark corner. "It's been killing me not being near you for so long," he whispered. The rest of the students had left on a Hogsmeade trip and the two of them had made their excuses and stayed behind, Harry urging his two friends to go while he caught up on sleep.

Harry smiled, glancing around quickly at the deserted hallway before leaning in as if to caress Cedric's lips with his own, stopping right before they touched and letting the heat between them collect. The Hufflepuff closed his eyes, trying to control the shiver that ran through his body before waiting no longer and pushing Harry against the wall, a mischievous light in his eye.

"So this is the game you want to play?" Cedric asked mock menacingly, arms on either side of Harry's head.

Harry responded by guiding Cedric's face to his own, lips melding in a sweet and fiery embrace. "Yes," he said, voice catching its breath when they stopped to breathe, both of their hearts pounding in their chests. It was Cedric's turn to be pushed against the wall as Harry took a few strides, taking the Hufflepuff with him, their bodies pressing towards each other in unconscious yearnings.

Suddenly, Harry pulled away, eyes darting to what looked like the edge of a robe disappearing behind a corner. He instantly became alert, fear running through his veins as Cedric too, from Harry's reaction, stopped moving and listened carefully for any sounds.

Nothing. "Harry, what'd you see?" Cedric whispered.

"I thought I might have seen someone."

They looked at each other, both knowing the disaster that might entail if someone had seen them. Waiting…all they heard was silence.

"Oh, I'm so stupid!" Harry quickly pulled out the Marauder's Map from his back pocket and unfolded it quickly. They leaned in and looked…holding their breaths, fear catching in their throats.

A dot labeled Harry Potter and a dot labeled Cedric Diggory were the only ones on the floor. Relief washed over both of them.

"We better get out of here," suggested Cedric.

"Yeah, take my Invisibility Cloak and go first, just to be safe. I'll wait a while with the map and then go too."

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The student couldn't believe it. Harry Potter and Cedric Diggory? It was too incredible to be true. Who knew the Hogwarts champions were getting it on together? And Potter! Queer! Diggory too. He knew enough to know that Mr. Diggory was in strong disapproval of homosexuality, based on his push at the Ministry for laws limiting their rights. This was too tasty a treat.

Draco Malfoy stepped out from hiding in the Room of Requirement, face a delighted leer.

To be continued… 

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**Author's Note: **Wow I got bogged down with work these past few months but I read all these wonderful reviews that made me feel tingly inside, so I decided to put up another chapter! And the little twist at the end might add some excitement to later chapters ;)

Hopefully you can try to bear with me (I know stories that take forever to be updated are really annoying) and see it to the end:heart:

Thank you again to all those who reviewed! You're the ones who keep me going!


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